Finn fitting in: How Granlund’s versatility, connections aid Stars’ Stanley Cup push

Jim Nill has a history of adding the right player at the right time.

Last season, it was Chris Tanev. Before that, it was Evgenii Dadonov and Max Domi. Before that, Mats Zuccarello.

This year, the hope is that Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci fall into that category. Granlund, in particular, has a strong history with Stars players, and that’s being put on display in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The 32-year-old forward has played with Esa Lindell, Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen in the past on Finnish national teams, and is currently trying to help Finland win in Montreal and Boston. That’s a pretty good crash course for someone who just joined Dallas last week following a trade from San Jose.

“I’m excited,” Nill said after acquiring Granlund. “He’s a player who has a lot of connections here and knows a lot of people, and I think that just makes everything that much better.”

Granlund also played with Stars center Matt Duchene for three seasons in Nashville, and the duo already is showing signs of renewing that chemistry.

“It’s been an easy transition,” Granlund said. “I feel like I’m playing much better and I have played with players like Matt Duchene; that makes things so much easier. It’s a challenge, but my game is at a different level, and I think that will help a great deal.”

Granlund had 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 52 games with the Sharks. He was their leading scorer and leading forward in time on ice, so he’s at a high spot in his career right now. In his four games with the Stars so far, he has four assists, and the team has gone 2-1-1. That’s just one more sign that this could work out well.

“He’s been great,” said Duchene, who has four goals and two assists in that span. “I’ve played with Granny a ton in my career and I’ve played with [Mason Marchment] a lot, and playing with those guys is fun. We’re making plays and doing some good things.”

Asked what his memories of Granlund are, Duchene said, “First of all as a teammate, he’s a great leader, he’s a hard worker, he’s a guy who you know that you’re going to get his best every night. And as a linemate, I know what he’s looking for, so it makes it easy to play with him.”

Granlund said he too felt the chemistry quickly.

“I know his tendencies out there and he knows mine, so it didn’t take that long to get used to it for us,” Granlund said.

That’s huge for the Stars, because they have dealt with plenty of adversity this year. Duchene started the year on one of the hottest lines in the league being flanked by Tyler Seguin and Marchment. However, Seguin was shelved for the season after hip surgery and Marchment missed over a month following facial surgery. Marchment is back and Seguin might return for the playoffs, so Granlund helps fill in nicely.

In addition, he brings more veteran presence to a team that has used seven rookies this year. Granlund has played 875 NHL games and was a leader for the young Sharks. He also has logged 59 playoff games, including a couple of nice runs with Minnesota earlier in his career.

“Granlund I’ve known for years,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer, who has coached in San Jose, Vegas and Dallas in the past 11 years. “He’s always been in the West and I’ve always admired how versatile he is, how he makes other people better. I think when you talk to the Finns on our team, you also learn what a great leader he is and what he means to the whole team.”

Instead of the traditional Swiss Army Knife compliment, Nill called Granlund a “Finnish Army Knife.” His friends in Finland understand.

“He’s very smart, very dedicated,” said Lindell. “He works really hard.”

Granlund is expected to get a boost from the 4 Nations Face-Off. While Finland is an underdog, Granlund said just being around the Finns makes you believe. And when he returns, he’ll be part of a sprint to the playoffs for a Stars team that currently sits third in the NHL standings, and believes it has a chance to win the Stanley Cup this year.

“It’s exciting,” he said of the transition from the last-place Sharks. “Coming from a team where there isn’t a lot of winning and then coming here where you actually have a chance to win something, I’m really excited. Let’s go for a little break and come back and see where we end up.”

The Stars have made the Western Conference Final two years in a row. Now, they have another golden chance to take the next step.

And Granlund might be just the right player at the right time to help in that quest.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.